 Welcome to the eastern promenade in Portland, Maine. In this scenic hillside park, renowned for its panoramic vista of Casco Bay, you'll find a variety of ways to enjoy the land and sea, and to discover Portland's rich history. Perched at the top of Munjoy Hill on the eastern edge of Portland's peninsula, the eastern prom features sweeping views of the islands of Casco Bay and the entrance to Portland's harbor. From nearly any vantage point, you can watch fairies, sailboats, tugs, tankers, and cruise ships ply the waters of the bay. To safeguard this precious green space, a group of Portland residents founded Friends of the Eastern Promenade in 2006. This nonprofit organization is now recognized as the primary steward of the prom, dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the park. As the resident of Munjoy Hill for the past 20 years, I've been blessed to be able to participate in this beautiful park that we have here on a daily basis. Sometimes I'm out here twice a day, and I have to say that all year long, in any kind of weather, there's really no more beautiful place that one can enjoy in terms of location and beauty. The city of Portland is really blessed to have a lot of really high quality open spaces for people to enjoy in the city, but the eastern promenade really is a gem. For over 100 years, people have been drawn here to enjoy the view, which is, of any urban park, it must be amongst the best in the country. Beyond the view, though, there's really some activities here for everybody, whether you enjoy walking on any of the trails, swimming at the east end beach, sunbathing on the slope, or playing ball in one of the fields. It's just a variety of activities, and always framed by the great view of Casco Bay. The eastern prom multi-use trail is popular for walking, jogging, bike riding, and rollerblading. The mid-slope trail offers a more rustic nature hike, and is ideal for bird watching. If you're a water lover, head over to east end beach, where you can take a dip in the ocean, sunbathe on the sand, go kayaking, try windsurfing or rowing, or launch your boat. Fishing is also a common activity along the water's edge. Of course, who could forget the many very popular events that happened on the eastern prom? Everything from the concert series that had been sponsored by the Friends of the Eastern Promenade, to, of course, everyone's favorite, the large Fourth of July celebration that's gotten bigger and bigger every year. Our furry friends are welcome on leash in most parts of the park. Dogs are allowed off leash in designated areas of the promenade at certain times of the day, depending on the season, and must be under voice control at all times. You can pick up the eastern prom dog map at east end beach, or download it at our website. The eastern promenade has played a vital role in Portland's history. In the city's early years, cattle grazed on its grassy hill. In the 19th century, forts and gun batteries, including Fort Allen Park, were built on the hill to protect Portland's harbor from enemy ships. In the late 1800s, Mayor James Finney Baxter recognized the value of preserving the land as a public park and began purchasing the property. Mayor Baxter hired the acclaimed Olmstead Brothers Landscape Firm to design a plan befitting this extraordinary location. Soon, tourists began flocking to the eastern promenade, marveling at the views. Many visitors mailed scenic postcards to friends and family. The eastern prom is home to a number of historic sites and monuments. Many are located in Fort Allen Park, including the USS Portland, the USS Maine Cannon, and the 9-11 Memorial. The remains of Fort Allen's earthen berm, completed in 1814, can still be seen today, along with two Civil War-era cannons. The Cleves Monument, located at the head of Congress Street, honors Portland's founder, John Cleves. Twenty-one prisoners from the War of 1812 who died of their injuries are buried in a small cemetery that looks out toward the sea. The prom also serves as a coastal oasis for wildlife. Nearly 190 species of birds frequent this urban flyway, including ospreys, loons, cormorants, and songbirds. Several areas of the prom have been intentionally left to thrive in an unmowed, natural state, providing food and habitat for migrating birds. Volunteers clean and beautify the park and remove harmful invasive plants on scheduled work days. Guided walks highlight the birds, ecology, and history of the eastern prom. And in the summer, hundreds gather at Fort Allen Park to enjoy concerts at the bandstand. As a park manager, I really value our relationship with the Friends of Eastern Prom. In recent years, the city's budget has been restrained somewhat with the economy. And our volunteers provide great help with everything from litter patrol and the April Stools Day event that happens, as well as assisting with the vision in terms of developing master plans. Two of the group's early projects include the Fort Allen Trail and the Loring Memorial Trail. Located at either end of the prom, these trails link upper sections of the park with the trail below, providing a complete loop on the peninsula to other Portland destinations, including the Old Port, the Back Cove, and the Bayside Trail. Friends of the Eastern Promenade is now partnering with the City of Portland to restore Fort Allen Park to its turn-of-the-century grandeur. The project, guided by careful historic research, includes restoring the original carriage drive and walkways, replacing fencing, rebuilding the scenic overlook, repairing the cannons and the bandstand, and adding landscaping, lighting, benches, and interpretive kiosks. We invite you to become members of Friends of the Eastern Promenade and help preserve this precious park. So you can find out more about Friends of the Eastern Promenade at our website, easternpromenade.org, and there you'll also learn all about the activities that we offer, the events that are available, volunteer possibilities, and ways that you can make donations and become a member to support all of the work that we're doing to carry out Olmsted's vision for the Eastern Prome.